


Three Things Hyuuga Doesn't Do

by our_flame_never_goes_out



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-12 13:05:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5667079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/our_flame_never_goes_out/pseuds/our_flame_never_goes_out
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some of the more memorable moments since Hyuuga met Kiyoshi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Things Hyuuga Doesn't Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kk-animelover(kk-sports-animelover)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=kk-animelover%28kk-sports-animelover%29).



 

**1**

Hyuuga stands alone on the deserted court, trying his hardest not to think about what had just happened. His sweat is soaking through his uniform, making it cling uncomfortably to his skin. He ignores it and continues attempting shot after shot, though it seems that the universe is determined to make him miserable today. Each failed shot only adds to his already simmering anger, and the more frustrated he gets, the worse his aim becomes.

It'd also been months since he last touched a basketball.

Hyuuga aims once more and releases the ball, and he knows, as soon as it leaves his hands –

It misses again. The reverberating echo of the ball ricocheting off the hoop grates on his nerves. He finds himself missing the clean  _swish_  of the net.

 

How had it come to this, after doing almost everything that was humanly possible to avoid basketball? He had gone out of his way to fill his days with aimless activities, which had somehow resulted in a few hobbies that were actually enjoyable. With all that to do, he shouldn't have had any time for basketball at all.

Everything should've been fine. And it would've been, until Kiyoshi Teppei came out of nowhere, babbling on and on about how they should create a basketball team. Seriously? After purposely choosing a school without a basketball team, he was getting pestered to join one that didn't even exist.

By "Iron Heart" Kiyoshi, of all people. Screw him and his pretentious nickname – that alone proved that they were different. Sure, he had "tasted despair" when he faced Teiko. He was still gifted. He at least got to face Teiko. Hyuuga, on the other hand – after all that effort, his team hadn't ever managed to scrape up a single victory. Aim for the top, they say. But how do you do that when you're stuck at the bottom? A genius like Kiyoshi would never be able to understand how ordinary people like him tried so hard, yet still failed to become even slightly closer to the top.

So why was he still here, long after Kiyoshi had left?

 

Hands slightly shaking from exhaustion – or rage, he didn't even know – he picks up the ball and he'll get this one in, he's got to, now if his hands would just keep steady for two damn seconds... That knowing half-smile of Kiyoshi's appears in his mind again, breaking his concentration.

_"I was glad I got to hear your true thoughts, in the end."_

Giving up, Hyuuga hurls the ball at the fence with all his might. The rattling clang echoes through the night, alarmingly loud.

Earlier, he'd wanted nothing more than to throw a punch right in Kiyoshi's face. To knock that annoyingly calm smile off his face, if only just for a second. He had the chance, before Kiyoshi had left him alone to deal with his whirlwind of thoughts.

But he didn't do it.

Because deep down, he knew all too well that Kiyoshi was right, and he was the one who probably deserved that punch to the face more.

 

 

**2**

Sometimes Hyuuga can't help but wonder what exactly is in that head of Kiyoshi's. Based on what he's gathered so far, he's quite certain when he hypothesizes that it's 50% basketball and 50% air. It's probably as close as you can get to an actual airhead.

What happened to the Kiyoshi on the court that day? The one who told him to give up trying to quit basketball? Hyuuga sees him from time to time, the one who can sweep people up in his own rhythm and get things to somehow work out exactly how he wants it. But most of the time, Kiyoshi will have that face on, the one that just radiates "but I'm innocent and harmless, you see, how could I ever do anything like that".

So he's just a weirdo.

 _But hey_ , says a voice in his head,  _hasn't Kiyoshi been on your mind a lot lately?_

Hyuuga tells it to shut the hell up.

 

But Kiyoshi's a problem, a big one. Or at least, expressing any form of thanks towards him is. The thing is, Kiyoshi has this ability to catch on to everything you're saying – everything as in all the words, literally, and not whatever point you're trying to convey.

So after the semi-final match at the preliminaries, when Hyuuga stutters through his sad attempt at a show of gratitude, he's not surprised at all (but still pissed) when Kiyoshi doesn't get it.

Dammit, Kiyoshi, nobody just says stuff like this without faltering a bit.

But nope, Kiyoshi has to prove him wrong by launching into this heartfelt speech about the team and how thankful he was to have met them all, and for a moment, the sincerity of his words and the gentleness of the expression on his face stun Hyuuga into silence.

 

So he ends up not getting to say a proper "thank you" that day.

He blames Kiyoshi. It's all his fault, saying things like that without so much as a second thought.

He'll say it, though. Someday. Maybe after they win that next match.

 

They never do.

 

 

**3**

It's been more than a year, and Hanamiya's the same nasty piece of work Hyuuga remembers him to be. Anger that never went away is now surging through his veins again, and he's never wanted to hurt anyone else so badly before. There was no way what happened to Kiyoshi last year wasn't deliberate – he would make Hanamiya pay for real this time.

Easier said than done. It hadn't been like this last year – which is to say, he hadn't expected the entire team to be so rough (and sneaky about it too, the bunch of scumbags). The bruise he got from that number ten was already starting to swell, and if it weren't for Kiyoshi taking that blow from number seven for him, he'd have gotten an elbow straight to the face. The game carries on with foreboding hanging heavily in the air, and when he hears that snap again all he can think is  _NO, not again, no_ , before he hears the thud of Kiyoshi's head hitting the floor as number seven brings an elbow down hard across his face.

 

Suddenly he's back at that match last year, and Kiyoshi's on the ground – again – broken and in pain. He's back in that hospital room, and for once  _he's_  reading into  _Kiyoshi's_  thoughts and saying what he couldn't, promising Kiyoshi the championship next year – this year, the only year they have – and Kiyoshi, "Iron Heart" Kiyoshi's crying as he says he'll come back soon, the setting sun scattering across the room, surrounding everything in a bittersweet glow.

To think that he'd once wanted to see anything other than happiness on Kiyoshi's face. All he wants now is for that smile to stay. 

The team name that splays across his jersey is instantly a heavy weight, as is the number four that was entrusted to him. Not a single one of his shots had gone in yet, and what is a captain if he can't lead his team to victory? Where would he even be without his team? Without Kiyoshi? 

When Riko subs Kiyoshi out, the weight finally seems to lift a little – both he and Kiyoshi calm down, and he remembers that there are things more important that were almost lost in the haze of his anger. The promise, and... to finally thank Kiyoshi, probably. After all this time, it does seem quite silly, but it's about time, right?

 

His next shot goes in with incredible precision. So does the next. And so do the rest.

The buzz of the game clock signifies the end of the match, bringing everything to a stop. Seirin is declared victorious, and they are closer than ever to fulfilling that promise.

Amidst all the cheering, he turns and sees Kiyoshi walking at him with a smile, looking relieved, proud, and somewhat expectant.

Hyuuga wants to kiss that stupid smile so badly.

But he doesn't, and settles for a high five instead.

...Maybe later, though. Maybe.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**4**

It's one day, walking back home with Kiyoshi, that Hyuuga has a certain realization. He has long since come to terms with the fact that his brain will suffer and probably has already suffered irreversible damage due to prolonged exposure to Kiyoshi. Because after all this time, it's still really hard to tell if he's messing around with you on purpose, or if he's actually that dumb. Which was exactly why Hyuuga didn't want to tell him about certain... feelings he had. Ever.

But here's the problem – he knows that if he doesn't do something right away, it'll take him a  _long_  time to get to it. He never ended up punching Kiyoshi for that night on the court, though he does feel sparks of (only slightly vengeful) satisfication whenever he gets to do it during practice. It took him more than a year to give Kiyoshi a proper high five, and he never did get to thank Kiyoshi properly, much less kiss him. 

If he has to accept brain damage along with all that as part of his fate, he shouldn't be forced to hide...  _this_  as well. The confession was long overdue anyway.

 

So before Hyuuga can stop himself, he stops in his tracks, turns to face Kiyoshi, and takes a deep breath –

_But the atmosphere's all wrong what am I doing_

"Kiyoshi! L-listen –"

_Oh God why did I have to stutter_

And before Kiyoshi can react, before he can regret it, he says, leaving out so much more he wanted to say, trying to convey all his gratitude and other feelings as simply as possible so Kiyoshi won't get distracted by anything else in his sentence, "I like you, idiot."

For two excruciatingly slow seconds, silence hangs in the air. Kiyoshi blinks. Then he smiles widely. 

"Really, Hyuuga? I'm so glad! You guys are all so important to me; I wouldn't know what to do if you actually hated me!"

Well. He sure was considering it now. While hiding under a rock for the rest of his life, maybe. He opens his mouth to say something, but no sound comes out. How could he have not seen this coming?

"You look like a fish, Hyuuga!"

Okay that's it. That's fucking it. If he knocks Kiyoshi out right now, maybe he won't remember any of this tomorrow.

Seeing Hyuuga clench his fists, Kiyoshi raises his hands in defense and drops the silly grin, but the face he has on now (oddly serious, with a hint of a smile; it's a face Hyuuga's learned to fear) probably means he's going to say something stupid anyway –

"I like you too, so does that mean I can kiss you?"

"Wha –"

But Kiyoshi's already leaning in, with his right hand on Hyuuga's left shoulder and his left around Hyuuga's arm. Hyuuga decides that, since by some miracle, things seem to being going along the right track, Kiyoshi doesn't need to be knocked out. So he heaves a long-suffering sigh and closes his eyes.

But the hand on his shoulder suddenly pushes him away, holding him at arm's length. Confused and flustered, he opens his eyes, only to see Kiyoshi with that face on again.

"But, Hyuuga." He begins, and Hyuuga is suddenly very aware of how tight Kiyoshi's grip on him is. 

 _"Now what?!"_  Hyuuga yells, feeling his face flush with embarrassment and anger.

"Shouldn't we brush our teeth before –"

" _Kiyoshi_ _._  Shut up and just –!"

Choosing not to finish his sentence, Hyuuga yanks Kiyoshi down for the kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Edited, a year and a half later :D


End file.
